Folding steam iron



Nov. 9, 1954 M. M, KasTNER FOLDING STEAM IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 2l 1951 INVENTOR Mrd/Z A! /Yzls/fer BY j 9C I ATTORNZ Nov. 9, 1954 M. M. KISTNER 2,693,651

FOLDING STEAM IRON Filed Feb. 2l, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN 5 2,693,651 Patented Nov. 9, 1954 ffice FOLDING STEAM IRON Merrill Miller Kistner, St. Petersburg, Fla. Application February 21, 1951, Serial No. 211,997 2 Claims. (Cl. 3S--77) This invention relates to pressing irons and more particularly to a folding or collapsible steam iron.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide an iron having a plurality of ports `in the sole plate and having channels communicating with these ports and with a reservoir mounted on the iron 4to deliver water to the sole plate. The water is vaporized by the heat of the sole plate and delivered from these ports in the form of steam.

While steam irons have proved very satisfactory for household use, the types heretofore manufactured and sold have been too bulky for use as a traveling iron. Many persons carry an iron in a suit case or other luggage to enable them to press garments in hotel rooms and similar places while traveling.

In the present invention I provide a steam iron in which the Water reservoir is arranged in the handle for compactness and in which the handle is detachable from the sole plate to permit the iron to be packed in a smaller space than would otherwise be possible. When the iron is assembled, the water reservoir in the handle communicates with the channels in the sole plate and the ow of water is controlled by a valve so that the iron can be used either as a steam iron or a dry iron.

The reservoir in the handle is provided with a suitable filling opening and this opening has a vent to permit discharge of air when water is placed in the reservoir. The vent is designed to control the quantity of water in the reservoir and to prevent the reservoir from being lled beyond a certain level. The water capacity is such that when the iron is stood on end, as is customary when not in use, the maximum amount of water that the reservoir can hold will not permit any water to flow through the outlet opening to the sole plate. This prevents the water from being accidentally discharged from the iron when the iron is not in use.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the iron with the handle and sole plate connected to each other;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the iron standing on end, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a detailed, sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse, sectional view of the sole plate.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates generally the sole plate of the iron and 2 the handle. The handle may be formed of any suitable material, preferably a molded plastic which consists of two complementary sections 3 and 4 (see Fig. l) secured to each other by bolts 5 or other suitable fastening means. The handle sections are molded with hollow interiors which coact to form a space serving as a reservoir 6. The reservoir 6 may be lined with sheet metal or a suitable plastic. It extends throughout most of the interior of the gripping portion 7 of the handle and the front leg 8. This forms what may be termed the main body portion 9 of the reservoir and an outlet portion 10. The rear leg 11 of the handle is recessed to receive the lead wires by means of which the heating element is connected to a convenience outlet for heating current.

As stated, the handle is detachably mounted on the sole plate and the sole plate is provided with lugs or posts 12 and 13 adjacent the front and rear which are received in suitable recesses in the bottoms of the legs ,.14 to secure the handle to the sole plate.

8 and 11 to properly position the handle. On the inside of each leg (see Fig. 4) I provide a cut-out portion or recess 14, the lower surface of which is inclined as at 15. The sole plate is also provided with pins or supports 16 for the reception of rotatable fastening members 17 which are adapted to cooperate with the recesses As shown, the lower sides 18 of the locking portions of these fastening members are inclined similarly to the incline 15 of the bottom of the recess so that when the locking member is received in the recess, a cam action is exerted. The handle may be detached from the sole plate by rotating the locking members substantially to cause the locking members to ride out of the recesses.

An opening 19 is arranged in the top of the handle in alignment with the front leg and this opening receives a plug 20 which is rotatably mounted therein and extends above the handle in the form of a disc having a knurled edge 21 to facilitaterotation. Extending through this plug is an open tubular member 22 having a series of ports 23 communicating with the reservoir. In the portion of the reservoir within the front leg substantially at the juncture of the main reservoir 9 and the outlet section 10, I arrange a plate 22 having a central opening 23. Any suitable valve which may be controlled by the rotating plug 20 and the sleeve 22 is provided for closing the opening 23 to control the llow of water to the sole plate. In the form shown, a gate valve or disc` 24 is pivotally mounted on the plate 22 as at 25. This valve is provided with an engaging member 26 at its free end, which is received over the edge of a cam member 27 mounted on the lower end of the tube or sleeve 22. Any construction'of sole plate having channels and discharge ports may be employed in an iron of this type. For the purpose of operative illustration, I have shown a sole plate of the type disclosed and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,384,839, granted on September 18, 1945. In the construction shown in that patent, which is directed to a domestic iron, I provide a valve at the bottorn of the reservoir where the water is delivered into the sole plate and thereby provide for regulation of the amount of water fed to the sole plate. In a simplilied construction, such as is herein illustrated, the use of such a regulating valve is not feasible. I therefore provide a plug 28 which may be in the form of a disc, threaded or otherwise mounted in a circular opening in the sole plate and having a central opening 29 4of restricted area through which the water is delivered to the sole plate. Immediately beneath the plug 28, the sole plate may be provided with a steam generating chamber 30 and this chamber may communicate with one or more channels 31 extending longitudinally of the iron, which in turn communicate with channels 32 adjacent each side of the iron. These channels may be provided with suitable ports 33 extending through the bottom of the sole plate to deliver steam to the pressing surface.

The iron is provided with a suitable heating element 34 which may be of the type shown in my prior patent above referred to, and in intimate heat exchange relation with the sole plate or may be of any other suitable type. The heat supplied to the heating element is controlled by a thermostat arranged in a recess in the sole plate (not shown) and adjusted by a regulating handle 35 connected to the thermostat and arranged on the top of the sole plate. Current is supplied to the heating element through lead wires 36 which extend from the rear leg of the handle 11 and are provided with a suitable plug (not shown) for connection to a suitable outlet opening. The wires 36 extend into a transverse recess 37 in the rear leg and then downwardly into a recess 38 where they are connected to suitable terminals 39. From these terminals, lead wires 40 extend to the contact clips 51 in the bottom of leg 11. These clips receive contact members 51 carried by the sole plate when the iron is assembled. Contact members 51 are connected to the thermostat and the heating element by suitable connections (not shown).

In Fig. 3 of the drawings I have illustrated the iron standing on end resting on the back edge of the sole plate and an extension 41 formed at the top of the leg y11. For simplicity -in this type of iron, the valve 24 is .placed `as shown, leaving .aspace beneath it, .that is, the outlet section 10 of the reservoir, in which a quantity of water may be present at the time the user stops ironing. If means were not provided ;to .prevent it, .this space might be such that the quantity-of water would be suffi- .cient to ow out of the ,opening lin the plug 28 tothe sole plate even when-the iron` is. inthe ,position Ain Fig. 3. To ,avoid this, the ventopenings 23 in the tubular member 22 are so placed .that thefreservoir cannot 'be completely lled with water. The reservoirisshown filled to .capacity in Fig. 2 of the drawings, providing an airspace '.44 above the Waterin the .reservoir when the iron is vin .normal position. When ,the iron .is inI use Aand the reservoir contains some water, .the Valve 24 is. open. Placing the iron in theposition :shown 'in Fig. 3 of the dra-wings prevents flow of water tothe sole. plate. As shown, v.the rear side 45 of the .eXtensionof the :reservoir slopes .toward the gripping portion 7 .of ,the handle so. that when the iron is arranged in they position shown in Fig. 3 the water will tend to -1iow into. Ithe reservoir and iill .the space 44, the air moving to the front `of the .extension l0 vand tlljng the. space 4 6 therein as indicated in Fig. .3 of Ythe drawings. vide the rightcapacity 'for the space 4.4, the water contained in the outlet -section 10 .of -the reservoir, when the iron is in the posit-ion shown `in Fig. 3, .can .besuch that its level will b e below .theopening 29 through :which itis V:fred to the sole plate.

l claim:

l. In a steam liron, a sole plate, and a handle, the handle comprising a .gripping portion, .a front yleg and .a rear leg, a reservoir `arranged in the gripping portion `of the handle, an outlet section .of the reservoir inthe front leg and communicating with .the soIepIate, `a valve in the outlet section, the top-of .the handle having an opening communicating with the-reservoir, a vplug .rotatably By vproperly designing the .vents to .pro-

mounted in the opening, and a tubular member carried by lheplug.andoperativelytconnected .tothe valve, .the Vtubular member having openings therein forming air vents and arranged beneath the top of the reservoir to provide an air space at the top of the reservoir and control the water capacity of the reservoir whereby when the iron is placed on end the quantity of water in the outlet section of the reservoir isrinsulcient to permit discharge of water to the sole plate.

2. A steam iron Jcomprising .asole plate and a handle, the handle being hollow ,providing a reservoir within the handle, the reservoir 4Shaving an outlet section arranged adjacent the sole vlplate andfseparated, from ,themain body of the reservoir, a valve controlling the ow of water from the main .body of the reservoir Ato the outlet section, a control member for the Valve, the control member extending to the exterior of the handle, said control member including a hollow tubular member through which ythe freservoir islled, the tubular member having openings therein `formi-agian*vents.and arranged beneath `the top of the ,reservoir ,toHcontrol the water vcapacity of .the reservoir, nand :a member .between .the ,outlet section `of .the reservoir and the sole plate1ha-ving anoutlet open- ,.ing of restricted xsize to controlthe owof water to the .sole plate.

References Cited vin the ille of this patent PATENTS Number lName Date `R e.1.6 ,8,8 6 Walker ..--n Feb. 21, 1928 2,201,491 Huiman May 21, l1940 2,313,382 Kistner Mar. 9, 1943 A2,418,511 Hume Apr. `8, `1947 2,506,941 Scott -...---n --.May 9, 1950 2,542,858 Boring ..-,..-n Feb` 20, 19.51 

